


Rebirth (a Hundred Visions and Revisions)

by katanrock



Series: Meeting Places (Back Here Again) [15]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Cal is baby, Gen, but he's also incredibly jaded, stan Prauf we love this man
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27569428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katanrock/pseuds/katanrock
Summary: It had been three years since the fall of the Republic. On the scrapper world, Bracca, Cal Kestis, or Callen Kane, settles into hiding. But it was inevitable. The padawan of Obi-Wan Kenobi could not hide forever.Or, Cal must grapple with his guilt, and relearn how to thrive.
Relationships: Cal Kestis & Prauf, Cere Junda & Cal Kestis, Greez Dritus & Cal Kestis
Series: Meeting Places (Back Here Again) [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639870
Comments: 25
Kudos: 131





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you're new here, welcome! I recommend you read the previous installments in this series, as some of this will not make much sense. If you're a regular, welcome back! And enjoy :)) 
> 
> The title of this story is pulled partly from TS Eliot's "Prufrock" poem!

Cal woke up just before his alarm went off. 

It was becoming a common theme in his mornings. Wake up. Lay for a minute. Alarm goes off. Turn the alarm off. Get out of bed. Get ready for the day. Today was no different.

Cal dragged himself out of bed, shivering at the cold draft coming through his rickety windows. They never sealed properly. 

Cal stumbled into the bathroom, turning the faucet on and washed his face. He looked up from the sink, staring at his reflection. 

To this day, he still wasn’t used to his brown dyed hair. He grimaced, pulling his hair back. He needed a touchup. And a haircut. The semi-permanent dye was already fading, slowly revealing his red hair, limp and damaged from years of application. He sighed, grabbing the handle to the medicine cabinet that doubled as his mirror. He would have time later tonight to touch up.

Breakfast was simple. A limp piece of toast with some butter with a cup of crappy coffee. He’d meet with Prauf at the train station. He sidled into his living room, sitting down on the only chair in the room. 

It had been almost two years since he moved into his own place. It was almost three years since Prauf found him starving on the streets of Bracca. The Abdenedo was kind enough to provide a place for Cal to stay for a year. But he was glad he got his own apartment. 

He wasn’t sure why though. The place was as barren as the day he moved in. Nothing decorated the walls. His one chair settled to the side of the room, leaving a large empty space in the middle of his one bedroom apartment. Sometimes he would try to work through some katas in the large space. But he always stopped in the middle, unable to continue. 

It was lonely without Prauf to fill the emptiness. 

Cal sighed, draining his drink. He set the cup in the sink, putting on his poncho, grabbing his things, and left the building. 

Another day had begun.

* * *

Cal was deep in work when he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

“Hey, Cal.” Cal pulled his headphones off, music still blaring. He turned off his welder, standing up to greet Prauf.

“Look, I don’t wanna set you off your rhythm, but the boss has something that might interest you.” Cal raised his eyebrow, nodding his head before following Prauf. The Scrapper Guild didn’t pay much, so any opportunity to make something extra was always well received.

“Here he is, boss.” Prauf stepped aside to include Cal into the conversation.

The droid looked at him, as if assessing. “An error has been detected from Line 10-A. The clamps have been jammed. I need two workers to climb up and secure the cables so we can release them.” 

Cal crossed his arms. “That’s not an easy maneuver.” 

The droid paused. “The Guild is doubling your pay this shift.” 

Cal huffed. “Only double? C’mon. That maneuver is highly dangerous. Triple.” 

“The Guild is not negotiating at this time.” 

Cal leaned towards the droid, ready for a fight. Prauf touched his shoulder before he could speak. “Leave it, Cal. You taking the job or not?” 

Cal sighed. “Alright.” Prauf patted him, smiling. 

“C’mon then!” Cal followed behind his friend.

Cal readjusted his grey and orange poncho, courtesy of the Guild. He pulled his headphones off, storing them in the small bag he kept underneath his large poncho. He ran a hand through his limp hair, grimacing at the oily texture.

He had always wanted to grow his hair out. The buzz cut look of a Jedi Padawan was not something Cal liked. He remembered Anakin’s long hair by the end of the war. How freeing it must’ve been.

Now that he had it, he wasn’t sure what his younger self saw in the style.

It didn’t matter anyways. Cal Kestis, young and naive, cared about his looks. Callen Kane couldn’t care less.

The pair climbed deftly through the ship they were currently scrapping. They passed Lekia, who was complaining about her tools again.

“Lekia, those tools have been through hell. I’m sure they’ll last you a couple more shifts!” Cal called back to the woman. She scoffed, waving her wrench above her head. 

“I’m telling you! Today’s the day!” she shouted, turning back to her work. 

Cal stepped out of the interior of the ship. The air was thick with the smell of metal and smoke. From the sky, Cal watched in awe as a Separatist ship descended.

“Woah, a Separatist ship!” Prauf exclaimed. “Haven’t seen one of those in ages!” 

The ship turned, revealing its round, torus shape, the command center set in the middle. The last time Cal saw one of those was during the last months of the war. He remembered the satisfaction he felt watching the ship explode, their bombers successfully hitting its fuel reserves. 

“Yeah… ages.” Cal whispered.

Prauf bumped his shoulder. “You okay?” 

Cal blinked the memory from his vision, curtly nodding his head. “Yeah. Just tired, is all.” Prauf glanced at him worriedly, before shaking his head. He waved his arm, and Cal followed, leaving the scene behind.

The ship was mottled with rust, weathered from years sitting in the shipyard. The wind blew through the opening in the ship’s exterior as Cal shimmied through a narrow corridor. Prauf was ahead, leaping onto an open ledge. 

A creak echoed off the metal walls. 

“Watch out!” Empty containers fell from their precarious position next to the ledge Prauf was standing on. The Abdenedo gasped, leaping out of the way of the barrels. They clanged harshly, and the ledge collapsed. Cal gasped, running towards the scene.

“Prauf!” Cal shouted. Prauf laid on the ledge, gasping. “You alright there?” 

The abenedo waved his hand. “Yeah… yeah. I’m alright.” Cal assessed him as he picked himself up. 

“You’re gonna have to find another way up, Cal. The ladder’s down.” Prauf shrugged apologetically. Cal grimaced. Theoretically, he could easily jump to the height of the ledge. But he wasn’t a Jedi anymore. Not unless he wanted the Empire on his trails.

Cal shrugged. “Yeah. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Cal turned to where the containers came from. He saw Orelon standing to the side.

“Sorry about that.” The man said weakly. Cal sighed, rubbing his face. Orelon was a sweet man, and he was new. But it was obvious to everyone that he wasn’t very cautious.

“It’s fine. Next time, make sure they’re secure.” Cal walked away from Orelon, heading towards the incline down to the next level.

“I’ll see you there, Prauf!” Cal waved.

“Wait, you’re going the wrong way!” Prauf shouted. Cal laughed. 

“I know what I’m doing.” 

With that, Cal jumped, sliding easily down to the barge that was docked. The droid yelled angrily at him. He raised his hands placatingly, jumping out and back into the ship. 

Cal weaved through the ship. They had been scrapping this ship for a couple weeks now. At this point, Cal could walk through it with his eyes closed. He waved at scrappers passing by, hopping nimbly onto the catwalks.

“Reckless, Cal.” A voice chimed. Cal couldn’t see the face. But he recognized the voice.

“Well, you know me, Mal.” 

The woman huffed. “Just don’t die.” 

Yeah.” Cal murmured. “That’s the plan.”

Cal made his way through the corridors, shivering at the sound of scrapper rats scuttling through the drains. 

He made his back into the open just in time to see the wing of a venator class ship get cut. He stared at the ship. There was no open fleet circle symbol painted on its wing. Cal wondered whose ship it was. AT-LTs circled the large ship.

It looked like a graveyard. Relics of an old era left to erode and decompose as the rest of the world moved on. 

“I heard they’re tearing the right wing off of this piece of crap today.” A scrapper said to his partner. They stood off to the side, taking a short break.

“Yeah? Well then. Let’s get this done before then.” The other stated.

Cal paid the two no mind, scanning the ship, and spotted the rope hanging down from the roof. He breathed in, grabbing hold, and began to climb. 

It didn’t take him much longer until he saw Prauf again.

“Hey Cal! Glad you made it.” Cal couldn’t see the man. He shouted in confirmation. “Get to the coupler. You’ll need to release it manually.” 

“Alright.” Cal huffed, pushing his body out and jumped onto the clamp. He grabbed the ledge, hanging precariously over the shipyard. He shimmied his way over to the coupler, pulling down with his whole body weight. He grunted as the clamp released. 

“Got it!” Cal shouted. Prauf jumped into action, pulling the clamp up from its previous position. It locked, and Cal quickly made his way over to the next one and repeated the process.

Cal quickly climbed up from his hanging position onto mostly solid ground. Prauf waved at him from the console. 

“Look at what’s up here, Cal!” Prauf exclaimed. He pointed over at the ship. Cal’s stomach dropped.

“It’s a Jedi fighter!” he guffawed. The Jedi Order symbol was blazened on the wings of the fighter, dirty, but still readable. Cal stumbled, placing a hand over it. He wiped away the grime, revealing one of the wings. His breath shook.

There were too many symbols of the past showing up today. First, the separatist ship. Then, the venator-class star destroyer. Finally, this. Too many coincidental appearances of the shades of the past.

“This has been here for what, three years?!” Cal didn’t reply, tracing the chipped symbol.

“The Jedi, a tragedy.” Prauf whispered into the wind. Cal didn’t look up. His gaze was fixed solely on the symbol of his past. “I mean, they couldn’t have all been traitors.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He croaked. “This could probably be scrapped for some good money.” Cal forced his voice to even out. 

“Yeah. It’ll definitely help with any of your plans to get off this planet.” Prauf agreed. Cal whipped his head around, shocked back into the present.

“What?” Cal looked at Prauf, confused. Get off the planet? “What makes you think that I wanna leave?”

“I mean, you’re a young guy. I bet you have dreams, goals, a destiny!” Prauf said nostalgically. The older man looked off to the side. 

Cal shrugged at that. His old dreams were washed away in a sea of blaster fire. 

“At least we’ll make some good money.” Cal veered the conversation away from the intimate. “It’ll be some good material for the Empire.” 

Prauf snorted at that. “We’re just scrapping old ships from the war just so the Empire could turn around and make new ones.” He started pacing on the wing of the ship. “At least pay was better under the Republic!”

Cal surged forward, grabbing Prauf by the arm. “Hey! Watch what you say.” Prauf gently knocked his hand off. He leaned in.

“Listen, Cal. This fighter, scrapped, could be your ticket off the planet!” Prauf pushed. Cal turned away. 

“We’re not having this conversation right now.” 

Prauf grabbed Cal by the shoulder. He slapped it off, glaring at the man. 

“Look. Let’s just get out of here.” Cal pleaded. 

A ping lit up at the back of Cal’s mind. He tensed. The sound of snapping cables filled the air. Cal turned to see the cables holding the wing up break. He gasped.

“Prauf!” Cal shouted. The wing shifted, tilting. He cried out as he flipped. Prauf was now below him. He hit the wing hard as he continued to fall, and began sliding. 

“Cal!” Prauf screamed from below him. They both sped down, debris falling around them. Cal raised his arms, protecting his face from the majority of metal shards hurtling his way. 

The edge came into view. Cal scrambled for anything to grip. He flew off the edge, saved only by the dangling cords on the side. Cal swung out, hanging upside down. He lifted his head, turning it frantically.

“Prauf?! Where are you?!” A shout came from the side, and Cal turned his head.

Prauf hung off the edge, barely holding on. Cal’s heart jumped into his throat.

“Hang on!” Cal reached for his feet, but the swaying of the wing and harsh wind made it impossible. 

“I can’t hold on!” Prauf cried out. He slipped and his right arm lost hold. Then his left arm. He scrambled for any hanging debris. But it was no use.

“PRAUF!” Cal screamed as the man fell. He released himself from his curled position, reaching his hand out. 

_ Please, help me! _ Cal cried out into the void. The Force gently touched him, caressing his mind.

The world came into focus, and Cal mustered all his power and focused it on Prauf. He forced his body to slow it’s descent. He clenched his jaw in concentration.

Prauf landed on a barge, grunting. Cal finally shook off the cables around his feet, dropping like a rock onto the transport. A piece of metal pinned Prauf down. 

“You okay?!” Cal reached for his friend, when a large tendril slapped at them. He gasped.

“I’m fine! Get us out of here!” Cal stumbled towards the steering wheel. The droid pilot laid sprawled on the controls. Cal heaved it off, watching it be swept up by the wind. He grabbed the controls, sharply turning them away from the tentacles reaching outwards.

“This piece of crap is barely flying!” Cal cried out in frustration. He grabbed the Force, pulling it towards him. 

The ship smoothed out, and Cal deftly turned them down towards the ground. Cal gripped the console tightly, tensing his whole body as the ship slammed into the ground and turning into a stop.

Cal gasped, blinking to rid his vision of vertigo. His head spun as he stumbled from the console and towards Prauf. 

“I got you!” Cal grunted, clumsily lifting the large bar of metal off Prauf’s legs. The man pulled his legs from under the beam, and Cal dropped it with a bang. The two stayed there, gasping for breath.

It wasn’t the best of landings. Not Anakin worthy. But at least the transport was still in one piece.

Cal circled next to Prauf, grabbing his arm. 

“C’mon. We gotta move.” He lifted the Abdenedo man up, wrapping his arm around his shoulder. The two slowly made their way away from the crash. Prauf limped, but kept up the pace Cal set.

“What-what was that back there?” Prauf muttered. “Wh-was that you?” 

Cal sped up. “Just forget what you saw back there.”

“No. That-that was the Force, wasn’t it? I- I remember the stories. Cal, there-there are bounties-”

“I know!” Cal gripped Prauf’s face in his hands. He stared into his eyes. “I know!” 

Prauf deflated at the look on Cal’s face. Cal brought a finger to his lips, dragging them back into a walk.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Prauf understood. “We need to be careful.”

They walked out into the main streets. AT-STs stomped by, mud coating their feets. Cal breathed in shakily.

Three years. He lasted three years. 

It was time to disappear.


	2. Chapter 2

Cal blinked his eyes harshly. 

Since he reconnected with the Force, the bright lights indicating Force Echoes were unbearable. No matter what he did, they wouldn’t go away.

He knew that mediation would be the solution. But he didn’t have the time for that. 

Not to mention, his meditation was part of the problem.

The train rattled as they passed over a valley. Prauf sat next to Cal, fidgeting, scanning the compartment for signs of danger. Cal sat there, waiting for the other to break his silence.

“Hey, Cal.” Prauf whispered. “I’ve known you for years now. I’ve never seen something like that.”

Cal jolted forward. He had to bring it up here? In public?

“Whatever you did, you risked a lot for that. I-well, I don’t really know how to repay you.” Prauf finished. Cal looked him in the eyes.

“Don’t mention it. Literally.” Cal emphasized the last word. He and Prauf were close, and he knew the man was sympathetic to the Jedi. He wouldn’t turn him in. 

Right?

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me.” Prauf chuckled softly. “But, for you, it’s not safe here. What’re you gonna do?” 

Cal leaned back, now the topic has steered into slightly clearer territory. “I’m gonna do the same thing. Disappear. Tabbers owes me a favor. Just gotta grab my stuff, get rid of everything.” Cal waved his hands. In other words, get rid of any evidence the Empire could use. 

Cal looked at Prauf, sighing. “You’re not gonna see me for a while, Prauf.”

The man wilted, his eyes drooped, looking down. “Yeah. Okay.”

Cal leaned back into his seat. The bright shine of Echoes stabbed at his brain. He closed his eyes, settling in. If he rested, maybe they would go away. He relaxed his muscles, slipping into the darkness.

When he opened his eyes, the world felt off. He pushed himself up, scanning the room. He reached for Prauf, only to find space where the Abdenado was only a few minutes ago. Cal straightened up. The train was its usual calm. He stood. Where could Prauf have gone? And why did he go?

Cal walked through the train, weaving through the sparse crowd. He entered the next compartment just as the shadowy figure of Prauf left from the other side. Cal picked up the pace, his walk turning into a job.

“Prauf!” Cal shouted. The other paid him no mind. Cal blew out air, frustrated. Why wasn’t the other replying?

The next compartment was a mess. The lights were off and scraps of old boxes and decaying objects laid strewn on the floor. Prauf opened the next door and it closed behind with a whoosh. Cal jumped over the broken glass and miscellaneous object towards the door. He pressed on it, expecting it to open. 

It didn’t. 

Cal tried again and again, before giving up. He pounded on the door.

“Prauf! Can you hear me?” No reply.

Cal turned around, giving up. He stumbled at the site before him.

The eerie train compartment was replaced by familiar colors and cliffs. Cal stood, shocked and slightly panicking. 

The Utapau hangar was empty save for a couple of fighters. Cal carefully walked towards the opening in the cliffside, looking down towards the large pools of water at the bottom. His breathing quickened as reality set into place.

Why was he back here? What was happening? 

He stumbled back, heading into the compound. He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know who to look for. Where was Prauf? Was he here? 

He slammed on the pad that opened the nearest door. He didn’t know where he was. All he knew was that he needed to leave, _now_. 

The door whooshed open, and Cal gasped, stumbling and falling onto his back as the armored figure rushed out, blaster pointed at his head.

“Kill the remaining traitor!” Cody shouted _(because it was Cody, it was_ Cody _, standing with his bright orange armor, visor gleaming-)_. Cal raised his hands over his head.

“NO!” He screamed, shoving out. The use of the Force pushed Cal hard onto his back. Cody flew back, hitting the wall with a crunch. In the distance, Cal barely made out the form of his Master, riddled with blaster bolts.

“Trust only in the Force.” The corpse whispered. He screamed. 

And he awoke with a jolt. 

He was back on the train. The passengers looked around confusedly. Prauf sat next to him, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.

He took in the surroundings. Then it clicked. “The train’s stopped.” A gaping maw opened in his stomach. 

“Yeah. Something’s going on...” The other said quietly.

Stormtroopers filed in, and Cal jolted to his feet as they took their places on both ends of the compartment.

“Have your identification ready and leave the train.” 

They left the train, and Prauf muttered to Cal. 

“I bet it’s just a routine contraband sweep.” He whispered, but sounded unsure. His churning stomach didn’t subside at that.

It was raining outside. The ground was already turning into mud. Stepping out of the train, he was met with dark armored stormtroopers. Cal’s stomach dropped. 

The Purge Troopers were infamous, with their black and purple armor, equipped with electrostaff.

He stood before one of the purge troopers, almost gaping. Prauf hauled him away, and he snapped out of his reprieve, settling next to his friend. Two ships flew past, landing in the open area in front of them.

Cal felt his body tense at the sight. The presence of Purge Troopers meant only one thing.

Two figures stepped out of their respective ships. They wore dark uniforms, helmets obscuring their faces. Armor was secured to their upper bodies and arms, and the shape of a lightsaber was proudly displayed on their belt. 

The slimmer form took its place at the head, with the other figure falling behind. They spoke evenly, confidently.

“I am the Second Sister of the Inquisitorius. We are here in search of a fugitive.” The figure, a woman, began. “And not just any fugitive.”

She glanced at the group, all in a straight line, Purge troopers at their backs. Cal clenched his hands into fists. 

“This fugitive is the follower of a zealous religious group: the Jedi.” She spat the final words in disgust. “Failure to turn over this traitor will result in a charge of sedition.” 

The woman walked towards them, and the other Inquisitor stood back, pacing back and forth. “Turn yourself in, or everyone here will face execution.” The Purge Troopers set their weapons, and the group jolted at the order. Cal’s breath caught in his throat. 

If he turned himself over, they would kill him, or worse, torture him.

But he couldn’t let these people _die._

“I-I think it’s time someone came forward.” Prauf’s voice broke through Cal’s thoughts. His heart jolted. 

“Prauf!” He cried out, grabbing the other by his arm. He didn’t look at him. Cal clenched his fist, forcing it to stop shaking. 

For a second, he almost thought Prauf would give him away. Another betrayal dealt to him. But he shook that thought away. No! Prauf was his friend. His _only_ friend. He would never do that.

“I-I’ve been working on this planet for a long time.” Prauf began. He turned to face the Scrappers. Cal looked at Prauf’s face, hoping to make eye contact. “Way before the war. We refit and rebuilt ships.” The Abednedo chuckled. “We were the best in the galaxy.” 

He shifted, startled at the long shape resting on his back. 

_His lightsaber_. 

He tensed, looking around. No one noticed his change in body language. He forced his body to relax slightly, slowly reaching for the hilt as Prauf continued talking. 

_Stalling. For him._

“We all know the truth!” Prauf spat out. His anger and bitterness were on display now. “The Empire sees us nothing more than droids, expendable!”

In the back of his mind, Cal couldn’t help but compare that to the clones. Bred for war, dying for a government they didn’t understand. 

_They betrayed him, the Jedi._ Cal shoved that thought away. 

“Prauf…” He whispered. His hand clenched around the hilt of his lightsaber. The weight was strange, unfamiliar, despite the years and years he trained to hone his fighting skills.

The Abednedo turned his head towards him, finally locking eyes. His eyes were set, determined. 

“Yes. You are.” The Second Sister replied. She unclipped her lightsaber, bringing up to Prauf’s chest.

“NO!” Cal screamed. But he was too late. The red blade ignited, impaling Prauf through the chest. The abdenedo gasped, falling to the ground. By the time he hit the ground, he was dead.

Cal snarled. He stepped forward, revealing his own lightsaber (he never repaired it. His green crystal was beyond salvageable). The Second Sister turned her attention towards Cal, the other Inquisitor not far behind. 

_She killed him. She killed my_ friend.

Cal forced his mind to calm, pushing Prauf’s death to the back of his mind. He looked around the area. There was no place for him to run. The Purge Troopers stood in front of the Inquisitor ships, and behind him were the empty railroad tracks.

_The train…_

There were trains that constantly moved on the tracks just below them. If Cal could make his way to the cliff-

The Second Sister attacked suddenly, and Cal barely blocked the attack. The woman bore down, before disengaging. 

“He’s mine!” She snarled, and the other Inquisitor stepped back, giving them room to fight. He felt like a mouse being batted around by a cat. She ignited her saber, revealing two glowing red blades. Cal’s stomach stuttered at the sight.

Cal settled into Soresu, just like his Master taught him. The woman stared at him for a moment. She chuckled.

“Cal Kestis…” She whispered. She wasted no time, attacking him again. 

“You recognize me?” Cal huffed. He jabbed out, grazing over her armored shoulder. She kicked up, hitting his arm. Cal followed the motion, falling back into a crouch and aimed at her legs.

“You may have changed your hair and name,” the Second Sister crowed as she jumped over his attack. He rolled out of the way of her blades. “But you’re still very recognizable. I’m surprised no one found you earlier.”

Cal blocked each attack, his muscles shaking from disuse. Muscle memory took over as Cal slowly pushed back towards the cliffside. He grunted, selling his supposed waning strength. The strikes became more powerful, and Cal looked back to see the cliff right behind him.

“Darth Vader will be pleased when I bring you to him.” The Second Sister mused. Cal smirked. He pushed out with the Force as the Second Sister raised her saber for a killing blow. She went flying across, landing several feet away. The larger Inquisitor stepped forward, ready to charge him. 

“Whoever Vader is,” Cal drawled, “Tell him that he’s not gonna get me this easily.” Cal looked over at Prauf’s body, lying on the cold, wet ground. He shivered. 

He needed to live. Prauf told him to find his destiny. And he will. For him.

Immediately, Cal threw himself over the cliff as the Inquisitors and Purge Troopers scrambled to stop him.

He fell for a good couple of seconds, before slamming through the roof of a cargo train and into its hold. He screamed as he landed on his side. Cal groaned. 

“Force, that _hurts._ ” It didn’t matter how many times he fell from large heights. They will always hurt.

“Who’s there?” The tinny voice of a Stormtrooper floated through the air. Cal pushed himself up to his hands and knees, gasping for air. He opened himself up to the Force, allowing it to take some of his pain away.

The bright Force Echos were back, but Cal forced them down, and they dimmed. He dragged himself up into a crouched position, grabbing his lightsaber from beside him. Two stormtroopers appeared, stepping out from stacks of equipment off to the side. They ran forward, standing in front of Cal.

“Who are you?” One demanded. Their blasters trained on him. Cal sighed, shaking his head. “How’d you get here.”

Cal raised a hand in appeasement. “Hey, now.” The other stepped forward, shaking his blaster around. 

“You’re a stowaway aren’t you?” He demanded. The other tensed, and Cal sighed.

“Now hold on-” A warning flashed, and he quickly blocked the bolts aimed at him, reflecting them back. The two fell to the ground, holes blazed through their armored chests. He grimaced, forcing his head away. He had priorities. He needed to find a way out.

He walked out of the compartment, leaving the two bodies behind.

* * *

The excursion towards the front of the train was abruptly halted when the tie fighter swooped down, blowing the compartment in front of him up. He covered his face at the explosion. He stumbled back as the flames receded back. The Tie began to reengage, before a large ship swooped down. It shot out, and the Tie fighter veered away, taking to the skies again.

The ship’s door opened. In the opening stood a woman. Cal squinted up.

“Who are you?!” He shouted, hoping his voice carried despite the wind.

“We’re back up!” The woman shouted back. Both flinched as blaster fire came back. The Tie fighter roared past. “We’ll pick you up when we can.” The woman stumbled back into the ship, and Cal raced towards the edge of the train compartment, assessing the damage.

The compartment was riddled with scraps of metal, all jutting out and held precariously. Cal breathed. He gave himself a running start, leaping off the edge and latching onto the metal siding on the other compartment. 

Just as he settled, the compartment behind him creaked, breaking off, immediately slowing down. Cal grunted, and began climbing once again.

The train rattled as it passed under a bridge. Cal tightened his hold on his precarious perch, ignoring the aches creeping into his hand muscles. As the train rushed under the bridge, Cal continued his climb, finally grasping the lip of the roof, and pulling himself over. He sighed, taking a breather. Working on a stationary ship scrapping was one thing. Hanging onto the side of a moving train was another.

Unfortunately, his reprieve was short-lived. Footsteps vibrated through the metal roof, and Cal pushed himself to his feet just as a group of stormtroopers came barreling towards him, blasters at the ready.

“Jedi!” One of them shouted as Cal ignited his blade, easily blocking the blaster bolts zipping past him. He deflected some back, taking out a handful of troopers. The ground troopers rushed forward, their batons at the ready. Cal easily parried, flipping over one’s back and slicing through their armor. Another one pushed forward and Cal swept him off his feet before plunging his blade into his chest. He slowly gained ground, until the last one fell to the ground, chest smoking. 

Cal stared at the bodies, most of them dead. He wondered what their names were, where they were from, who they had at home.

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts away. He needed to escape, to survive. He didn’t have time to focus on the blood stained on his hands. Presently, or in the past.

He ran on the roof, jumping from compartment to compartment. The drizzle turned into rain, splashing into Cal, soaking him to the bones. He pushed on, seeing the end just before him. 

As he ran out from inside a compartment, he saw a ship heading towards him. It engaged its guns, sending waves of blaster fire. The train rocked as the tracks below it fell apart. Cal stumbled, gasping as he tipped forward. The train was plummeting off its rails, and Cal caught a scream in his throat as he used the Force to guide his body down the sloping compartments.

Door after door opened, until he saw the very end. Just then, the ally ship sped forward, setting itself at the very end of the train. The woman opened the door again, stepping out.

“Jump!” She shouted, and Cal forced his legs under him as he got to the lip, propelling himself forward. He latched onto the side of the ramp, and the woman shimmied over, hand outreached. Cal reached forward, straining against the wind and rain.

“No!” The woman screamed. Blaster fire hit the side of the ship as she flinched back. Cal gasped, losing grip of the ramp. As the ship jerked away, the Tie fighter from before swooshed by, and Cal screamed as he fell. 

Cal forced his body to turn, his face now turned towards the ground. Rain continued to fly past harder as he tried to look for anything to grab onto. A barge drifted by, and Cal rammed into its side, flying off the side before he could latch onto anything. A droid flew past and Cal yanked on its spindly legs, sending the both of them careening off-kilter. 

The droid warbled in frustration as Cal held on as tightly to the slippery metal as he could. A metal landing pad appeared through the fog, and Cal let go, falling towards the floor. He pulled the Force around him, slowing his descent just enough for him to roll unceremoniously, landing on his back.

Cal groaned, forcing himself off the ground. At least this time, he didn’t land on a box of supplies. But he wasn’t out of the danger yet. He needed to get off the planet if he wanted to survive.

He scanned the platform for any signs of danger. Just as he gave a mental all-clear, the Tie Fighter that dogged his movements on the train roared past, landing easily on the above platform. The form of the Second Sister stepped out, landing easily down in front of Cal with an easy use of the Force. The woman walked towards him, confidence radiating from her in waves. The Force tingled in the back of Cal’s mind, reminding him of the obvious. The Second Sister was a threat; a dangerous one at that.

“Going somewhere?” The Second Sister mocked. She ignited her red blade. Cal could feel the crystal crying out. The blade crackled and fizzled, unstable in its hilt. He looked at the blank helmet on top of the woman’s head, and Cal ignited his own blue blade settling into a Soresu opening stance.

The woman chuckled. “Ah. So you agree that you can’t run anymore, hm?” She walked closer, and Cal forced himself to stay put, eyes trained on the opponent. He opened his connection to the Force, grimacing at the strain. He had cut himself off for so long that he could barely handle using it for longer than a couple of minutes. 

“Well, I haven’t had a good sparring partner in a long while.” Cal snarked back.

The two stood at the ready, neither moving.

“How many clones did you kill to survive?” She mused. “How many people died so that you might live?” She spoke the last words with such malice that Cal almost stepped back from her. With a flash, she attacked. 

Her attacks were bold and full of power. Cal easily slid back into Soresu, letting muscle memory guide his movements. He redirected the powerful blows away, letting the blade slide off. The two danced for a bit, neither letting the other gain the upper hand. 

Cal ducked below as the Inquisitor’s blade cut horizontally. He landed on his knees, sweeping a leg out. The woman jumped, bringing her blade down with incredible force. Cal rolled out of the way, pushing out with the Force as the other’s blade slid through the metal floor. She stumbled back and Cal pushed forward, switching to Ataru.

They continued, but Cal could feel his muscles straining. He couldn’t last much longer.

The Inquisitor knocked Cal back. He stumbled as the red blade cut from above. He caught it, and the other bared down on him. He gritted his teeth, staring into the red visor of the Second Sister. 

The Force shouted. Cal listened, disengaging from the other. Just as he did, blaster fire filled his vision, and he flew across the landing pad, his lightsaber clattering away from his hand. 

He blinked the black dots from his eyes. The ground was covered in smoke. He could hear an engine roaring behind him and the sound of metal. 

“Get on board!” A familiar voice shouted. Cal shook his head, looking towards the voice. The woman from before gestured fervently at Cal. He stumbled, grabbing his saber off the ground, entering the ship. From the smoke, a red blade glistened as the Second Sister stepped out. The woman gripped his arm, forcing him into the ship. Her arm was out, blaster in hand as she shot at the enemy.

The Second Sister easily blocked. Cal stiffened, grasping at the door controls. He pushed the buttons, willing the door to close faster. 

“Captain!” the woman screamed. The Second Sister moved swiftly, enhancing her movements with the Force. She jumped as the door closed, leaving a scorching mark where her lightsaber punctured the door.

Cal ran towards the cockpit, shutting his lightsaber off. A Latero sat in the pilots seat, frantically moving the ship into motion. The Second Sister, still on the ship, landed onto the cockpit viewport. She reached a hand out, grabbing the steering wheel from the Latero’s hand with the Force. She twisted, and the ship began spinning uncontrollably.

Cal stumbled, but forced his body into motion. He grabbed the handle, forcing it back into position with the help of the Force. The ship jerked, and the Inquisitor flew off. The latero and human woman stared at each other, before jumping into motion. With a flick, they jumped into hyperspace.

The three of them stood still, looking between each other. With one movement, the tension broke. The woman walked out of the cockpit, and Cal stumbled away from the Latero.

“...Thanks.” the other spoke weakly. “Why don’t you grab a seat.” Cal nodded, clenching his fists around his lightsaber hilt, forcing them to stop shaking. 

“So, who are you guys?” Cal asked. The woman opened the communications port, revealing a map. 

“My name’s Cere Junda.” The woman replied. She gestured to the Latero. “This is my captain, Greez Dritus.” Cal looked between the two. Greez waved one of his hands awkwardly.

“One rule here,” he started, “you better listen to this woman. She’s the real captain of the Mantis.”

Cal nodded, taking in the ship. It was small, with one common area and a kitchen tucked near the back. He could see a hallway that led to a bunker and a fresher. Not a big ship, most likely made for one to two people for personal use. 

“Who’re you?” Cere asked. Cal turned back to his rescuers.

“Cal.” he replied.

“Cal what?” Cere pushed. Cal sighed. 

“Kestis.” He muttered begrudgingly. Something lit in Cere’s eyes, but it was gone in a flash. “Was that the Inquisitorius back there?”

Cere looked at him curiously. “You know about them?” 

Cal shrugged. “I’m a Jedi in hiding. I have connections. Of course I know of them.” He stared at his lightsaber. “I’ve just never met any before.”

“And it's for the best.” Cere spoke firmly. “Now that they know you’re here, they will not stop until they destroy you.” Cal knew the nuance in that sentence. They could destroy him by torturing him to insanity, or obliterate him off the galaxy. Either way, nothing good would come out of being captured.

“What are you doing here? And why’d you save me?” Cal demanded. He couldn’t trust these two. Not yet. More likely than not, they have an agenda.

“We were tracking Imperial communications.” Cere began. “When we heard the Inquisitors were heading to Bracca, we made our move.” 

Cal raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. “Tracking the Inquisitors to the Jedi? What’s the bounty for them nowadays?” 

Greez glared at Cal, pointing a finger at him. “Look at the gratitude, huh? We saved your ass, kid. At least act grateful.” Cere laid a hand on the Latero's, pushing it down.

“Look, I get it. You don’t trust us.” Cere began. “You’ve been surviving on your own for so long that it’s hard to trust anyone.” 

“Hey, don’t tell me what I’ve been through.” Cal snapped. “I trust others. I’m just wary of people I first meet, alright?” 

Cere raised her hands, placating. “Either way, you’re just been surviving.” Cere appeased. “But what if I told you there was something more we could be doing than just surviving?”

Cal glared at the woman, waiting for her answer. “What are you getting at?”

She sighed. “What if I told you we could rebuild the Jedi Order?”

Cal’s brain shut down.

Rebuild the Jedi Order? That’s insane.

“What?” He breathed out. “Y-you’re crazy.”

Cere looked taken aback. “I’m sorry-”

“The Jedi were arrogant and ignorant.” Cal growled. “They led us into a war without consulting their own belief systems. We fought as Generals and soldiers for three years. By the time it ended, it was inevitable that they would fall. What makes you think bringing back the Order would do us any good?” 

Cere looked at Cal confusedly. “The Jedi are what we need. They could be our only hope!”

Cal cut her off. “Hope could be anywhere! But it’s not with the Jedi. The Order was fundamentally broken. The last thing we need right now are those broken!” 

“Then we rebuild it anew!” Cere cried out. She stepped forward, arms out. “We rebuild the Jedi back to their old glory. We need the Jedi to bring balance and peace back to the galaxy!” 

Cal didn’t answer, staring at the floor. He leaned into the wall, crossing his arms.

Cere sighed. “Look, if I can convince you, maybe someone else will. Come with us. After our next stop, if you still don’t think this is a good idea, we’ll drop you off wherever you’d like. But please, give this a chance.” Cal looked into Cere’s eyes. Her dark eyes pleaded with him. The Force wrapped around him in a warm glow. He sighed.

“Alright.” He whispered. “I’ll give you a chance.” 

Cal stood there silently. “Are- are there any other survivors? The Jedi Council?” Cal looked into Cere’s eyes, pleading with her.

She looked at him strangely, then shook her head.

“No.” 

Cal deflated. He shuffled his feet. With just himself, building the Jedi Order seemed an impossible task. Not to mention the true question: whether the Jedi should even come back. 

He shivered at the memories of the Temple; the warmth, the laughter, the peace.

“So, I’m all you got.” Cal whispered. The silence drew, becoming awkward.

Cere looked over at Greez. “Captain?” Greez raised himself from his awkward position on the other side of the room. “Set course for Bogano.” The Latero nodded.

Cere turned to Cal. “You should get some rest.” She gestured to the lofts within one of the cabins. Cal nodded.

As he laid down onto the bed, he pondered Cere’s idea once again.

A selfish part of him longed for the family the Jedi were to him. He longed for the tranquility and unity within the Force.

But another part of him feared what would happen should he agree. Did he have the will and determination to rebuild a whole Order while the Empire continued its oppressive reign?

He wished Prauf was here. But he wasn’t. His body was on Bracca, probably thrown into a ditch to rot. He would never see his friend again.

Cal closed his eyes, letting the tension from the day sweep away.

He fell asleep, searching for an answer that never came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! 
> 
> Finally, another chapter! Right before Thanksgiving, if you're a fellow American. I've been on break, so I've been juggling all of my hobbies and finally finished writing this chapter. A lot more changes happened, though not all of them are significant. I'm super proud of the ending scene between Cere and Cal. Cal is definitely a lot more jaded than his canon counterpart, and will therefore be a lot more wary of Cere's plan. 
> 
> I hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And good luck on any exams if any of you guys are in school like me. Comment, give kudos, whatever! I'll see you guys soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Cal gasped, eyes shooting open. He tensed, reaching for his lightsaber.

“Woah!” A voice cried out. Cal stopped his movement, blinking. The form of Greez came into focus in front of him. He sighed.

“Sorry.” 

Greez lifted his hands. “You were talking in your sleep. Just wanted to let you know that we’re almost there.” The Latero left, mumbling under his breath. Cal sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, scrubbing his face.

He pushed himself off the bed, heading back out into the main hull of the ship. He looked around curiously, popping his head into what looked like a workshop. A bench full of mechanical tools and parts sat at the end. He continued out, passing the refresher and into the main common area. He stared curiously at the string instrument leaning on the table. The familiar blue tint surrounding the instrument glowed brightly. Cal reached out, hesitant. His fingers touched the head, and he gasped.

_ Fingers pressing down on the fretboard, fingers gently strumming. A beautiful melody and voice melded together. A sense of pride and peace. A gentle smile _ . 

Cal unconsciously grabbed the instrument, sitting down. He let his fingers work, the Echo lending Cal muscle memory that was not his own. He moved with the music, allowing himself to immerse in the Echo and the music as both joined together. He strummed the last chord, opening eyes that he didn’t realize had closed. 

The last time he immersed himself so fully in an Echo was years ago, before the war. At the time, understanding other people’s emotions was almost second nature. But after years of war, where the only echoes left were of death and violence, Cal almost forgot how to connect.

He forgot how much hope was instilled in one joyous Echo. 

“That song,” Cal jumped, turning around to find Cere standing near the steps. “I wrote that. Years ago.”

Cere walked over, sitting next to Cal. Cal shifted, widening the space between the two of them. He set the instrument down, leaning it on the couch. Cere stared at him, tilting her head in curiosity.

“You can feel the memories within objects.” It was a statement rather than a question.

Cal nodded. “Yeah. It’s an Echo in the Force.” Cal fidgeted. He still didn’t trust Cere. Her motives were genuine, but he still didn’t know what exactly they needed him for. Rebuilding the Jedi Order was a tall order for any one person.

“That skill is very rare.” Cere nodded her head, almost speaking to herself. Cal blinked, alert.

“How do you know that?” Cere shifted, noticing his change in demeanor. She spoke quickly.

“I used to be a Jedi.” She stuttered, explanation falling from her lips before she even knew what she was saying. Cal lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “But...but not anymore.” Cere corrected her own fumble.

Cal stared more closely at Cere. 

“I’ve never seen you around.” But that wasn’t a surprise. Before the war, there were tens of thousands of Jedi. The war hacked at their numbers, but Cal was barely in-Temple anyways. No surprise there. 

“Well, the temple was big.” Cere chuckled. “You may not have known me, but I knew you. And your Master.” 

Cal diverted his eyes to the floor at that. His Master. Obi-Wan. It wasn’t a surprise that Cere knew of him. He hadn’t tried to reach out through their tenuous bond since the order. He knew what he would find. Either the remnants of a bond long broken during the last three years, or a string that went nowhere, lost in the galaxy. 

“Oh, that reminds me.” Cere pulled Cal from his thoughts. She moved over to a cupboard, pulling out a glowing blue cube.

_ A Jedi Holocron _ . Cal’s mind supplied him. He stared at it in awe. 

“Where’d you get that?” Cal gasped out. 

“I had it on me, during the Purge.” Cere explained. She handed it to Cal. “I was able to record the last transmission coming from the Temple. I’m sure you’re interested in it’s details.” 

Cal held the holocron in his hands. The Force gently caressed his mind. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes. The holocron lifted from his hands and he gently eased it into opening up.

“This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Cal gasped, eyes widening. The blue form in front of him was immediately recognizable. Cal could imagine the blue tint of the recording filled with the bright auburn color of his Master’s hair, greying at the temples. His eyes were incredibly sad. Cal gaped as the recording continued. 

“ I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen with a dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place.”

Cal pressed a hand to his mouth, subduing the sob that ripped through his throat.

“This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in The Force. Do not return to the Temple…that time has passed. And our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust. Our faith. Our friendships. But we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always.”

The holocron closed, gently floating back into Cal’s hand. He set it down, wiping his face. 

“I’m sorry.” Cere apologized awkwardly. “I didn’t realize you would react so emotionally.”

Cal shook his head, waving her apology off. “No, no. It’s just,” He sniffed. “I didn’t know if he survived Utapau. But now I know that he at least made it back to the Temple.”

Cere took her place next to Cal once again, hesitantly laying a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t shove it off, allowing himself physical touch from an almost stranger. 

“Forgive me if this is a bad time,” Cere began. “But do you know if he is still alive?”

Cal shook his head. “I don’t know.” He didn’t want to check. He didn’t want a solid answer. Better to leave it unknown than live with the truth. 

Cal stared at his hands, watching them shake minutely. 

“Listen.” He turned to Cere. “I’ve been blocking myself from the Force for three years now. My escape from the Purge forced me to do things I had no grasp on. I don’t know what you need me for, but my powers aren’t what they used to be.” 

Cere just smiled, squeezing his shoulder. “You’ll get through it. I know it. Besides, you’re not alone. Not anymore.” 

Cal nodded, ridding his face of the tears he allowed to fall. 

“Comin’ up on our destination.” Greez’s voice came out tinny over the intercom system. Cere looked at him, smiling. She got up, gesturing towards the cockpit. 

Cal stood there for a second. Cere was an enigma. He barely knew anything about the woman. But the Force seemed to be pushing him towards her. He sighed, following the woman into the cockpit, strapping in for landing. 

They came out of hyperspace easily, and Cal jolted a little, unused to the shift in speed after three years of not entering space. He gasped at the planet in front of them.

Bogano was beautiful from space. White fluffy clouds gathered and dispersed in the atmosphere, revealing and hiding the green and blue mottled surface. The ship easily entered the atmosphere, landing on the slightly boggy surface. 

Cal followed Cere out of the ship. Cal breathed deeply, floored at the crisp air. No signs of pollution, no signs of industrialism anywhere. Cal turned, taking in the green grass half submerged in water and the scaffolding land. A large spire reached towards the sky off in the distance. Cal sighed at the peace.

“This is Bogano.” Cere raised her hands to the world. “A jedi I knew found this planet. You won’t find it on any starmap.”

Cal raised an eyebrow. “Really? Even the Empire doesn’t know?” Cere smirked, nodding her head. 

“Nope.”

Cal put his hands in his pocket. “So… what are we doing out here? You don’t seem ready to hide out or anything.”

Cere chuckled. “We’re done hiding.” She pointed to the spire. “I believe that Vault has the key to rebuilding the Jedi Order.” She looked over at Cal. “And it needs someone strong in the Force to pass its test.” 

Cal sighed. “So you need me to find it?” 

Cere turned towards him. “I know you don’t trust me. And if you must know, the sentiment is mutual.” She crossed her arms. “But we have a common enemy. And, if you change your mind, a common cause.”

Cere nodded to the spire. “Hopefully this will be enough for us to make headway on our plans.” She looked at Cal. “I might not be able to convince you. But there’s someone here that just might.” 

The woman turned, returning to the ship. “I’ll see you later. And may the Force be with you.” Cal turned, watching her leave. He huffed, shaking his head.

Looks like he doesn’t have a choice. 

And he’s also intrigued. Who else is on this planet? Cal reached out with the Force as far as he could. He barely reached out when his consciousness snapped back. He recoiled, shaking his head. 

He sighed. He needed to meditate and reopen his connection if he wanted to be back to his normal strength. Cal settled onto his knees, ignoring the water soaking through his pants. He closed his eyes, slowly lowering himself into the Force’s current.

The Force’s presence was like the sea, cold and unstable. Cal gasped at the unfamiliarity, struggling to keep his head above the current and being dragged down. What used to be as easy as breathing was now almost impossible. Cal tried to grab at the Force for stability, but its tendrils easily slipped away, and Cal was pulled under, losing control. The waves pulled him further and further. He gasped, struggling for breath, trying to get his limbs to move. He thrashed against the current, starting to panic. 

_ Come on! Push, push, PUSH.  _

He jolted, opening his eyes in panic. He pitched forward and barely caught himself from landing face first into muddy water. His breath shook, his body following. He pushed himself back into a kneeling position, his whole body trembling as if he had just emerged from freezing water. He turned his head, looking for anything to ground him. A beep startled him, and he jerked his body towards the sound.

A droid stood next to Cal, its head tilted to the side. It was painted white and red, and its eyes moved as if blinking up at Cal innocently. The droid, a BD unit from Cal’s analysis, trilled in curiosity.

_ “Hello! I’m BD-1! Who are you?” _

Cal smiled awkwardly. “I’m Cal.” 

The droid beeped, moving closer.  _ “Are you okay?”  _

Cal chuckled, amused. The droid was cute, and was obviously trying to be nice. Cal felt a twinge of nostalgia, memories of Artoo’s intense language and Threepio’s nervous disposition flooding his head. He shook his head.

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” Cal answered. He set his hands on his thighs, leaning into them slightly. “I’m just looking for someone. And something tells me that this person might be a Jedi.” 

The BD unit chirped.  _ “A Jedi? I know one!” _ Almost immediately, the droid jumped into action. Cal stumbled in surprise.

“Wait, you know a Jedi?!” Cal quickly followed the hyperactive droid. “Who is it?” 

The droid -- he decided to call it BD, it’s easier that way-- ignored his question, leaping onto an engineer control pad (there was at least some sentient interaction on this planet, given the small amount of electrical workings spattered across the land) and slicing it. Cal blinked in shock as a metal walkway shot out. 

“Woah.” Cal chuckled. He ran over to BD. “That’s pretty handy, don’t you think?” BD trilled in satisfaction. Cal made his way over to the vine covered wall, pulling at them and testing their strength. He nodded, satisfied. 

BD scuttled on ahead, deftly making its way up. Cal followed not far behind, pulling himself up onto the next ledge. The Vault, as Cere called it, overshadowed the land, casting a large shadow even with the sun still high in the sky. He sighed. 

“That’s where I’m headed.” Cal muttered. “You know if that Jedi of yours will be there?”

BD clicked in confusion, stating his own uncertainty. Cal sighed. They would just have to head over there themselves.

BD led the way, and Cal followed the droid through the marshy land. They scuttled across a small pipe that reminded Cal of Bracca. If he closed his eyes and focused hard enough, he could almost project a memory onto the present, him and Prauf working on a small ship together. 

He shook his head at that, slinging down so that he could enter what seems to be a large, occupied enclave. 

BD screamed angrily, jumping down from the pipe towards a large feline creature. It growled, pouncing onto the droid. 

“Hey!” Cal shouted, landing down in front of BD. He pulled his lightsaber out, slashing at the animal. It growled, wary of the weapon, before darting away out of the enclave, burrowing into the ground. 

Cal shut his lightsaber off, crouching down next to BD. The droid began limping. His right foot was damaged, sparking as he began hopping towards a room. Cal quickly stopped the droid.

“Hey! You’re not doing so hot, buddy.” Cal crouched in front of BD, who trilled indignantly. 

“I-I can help!” Cal exclaimed, pointing to the tools he still had secured to his belt. “If you can show me to a work table, I should be able to fix you up in no time.” 

BD hummed, before begrudgingly agreeing. Cal picked the droid up, following its directions and into a small alcove. To the side, Cal found the work table, covered in dust with bits of metal and parts strewn about. He laid BD down carefully, assessing his leg part.

“Well,” Cal muttered, turning it about. “Your scomp link is broken--hold up, let me see if I have the parts…” He patted his belt down, opening the small pouches. Cal grinned in satisfaction.

“Aha! This should fix your scomp link.” He set the small metal piece down, pulling out his welder. “Now, hold still, alright?” BD chirped in agreement, and Cal got to work.

The repairs took almost no time. BD tested his foot as Cal put away his tools. The droid squealed in happiness.

_ “Thank you, Cal!” _ BD chirped. Cal chuckled, patting BD on the head. 

“No problem. Everything working fine?” The droid trilled in agreement, hopping down off the work table and heading out. Cal followed, slowly turning as he took in the enclave.

It was obviously lived in, but the dust and disrepair of the electronics and supplies told Cal that whoever used to live here was long gone. He entered another alcove, where plates were piled, covered in a layer of dust. Cal turned, before spotting a shimmering area. 

A Force Echo.

Cal reached out hesitantly, laying his hand in the swirling energy. He gasped as he was pulled into another memory.

_ A voice humming, calloused hands deftly organizing recently washed plates. The smell of food. A familiar chirping noise, laughter following. The brief glimpse of the alcove, neatly organized, not a spot out of place. _

Cal slowly came out of the Echo, pulling his hand back. Another quiet, but happy memory. He stood, leaving the storage alcove.

“BD? Where are you?” He called out. A series of chirps and whirls echoed from within a room, its door barely open. Cal slipped through, lighting his lightsaber in the almost pitch black room.

Through the darkness, Cal could make out a bed, some dressers, and some flimsi strewn across desks. Again, more dust covered the surfaces, and Cal quickly found BD, who circled a trunk, cooing. 

“What is it?” Cal asked. BD chirped, nodding his head at the crate.

_ “I need to get inside!” _ BD exclaimed. Cal raised an eyebrow.

“Any reason why?” BD’s response was garbled, and Cal shrugged, opening the crate.

“Woah. That’s a lot of stims.” He whistled. 

The crate was full of the stim pods. BD jumped in, moving them around. 

_ “These are for you!” _ BD squealed. Cal chuckled.

“You know I can’t carry these all the way to the Vault.” Cal explained, ready to leave.

_ “Not to worry!”  _ BD trilled.  _ “I can take some of them.” _ With that, the droid opened a little storage unit within its head, where four canister holders laid. Cal raised both eyebrows. BD units didn’t have those compartments. Someone, probably the Jedi, or whoever lived here, added some features.

“Okay, buddy. Thanks.” He added four stims, and the slot closed sharply. Cal brushed his knees of dust, ready to leave. There wasn’t really anything here for him. Besides, it almost felt like an invasion of privacy, even though it had been years since anyone had set foot in this room. 

Before he could leave, he stumbled as a weight settled on his leg and began climbing. BD easily scuttled up his body, and Cal grunted as the droid settled onto his shoulder, like Yoda would sometimes do with Master Windu.

“You’re pretty heavy, you know?” Cal teased. BD beeped. 

_ “I’m not heavy. You’re just weak. _ ” Cal choked, shaking his head. Snarky little bastard.

They left the enclave, climbing up the stairs on the second floor out onto a grassy knoll. The sun had just started coming down from its peak, casting longer shadows from the Vault. Cal and BD quickly made their way towards it once more, dodging any potential threats easily. Cal also found BD’s use as a glider down wires that dotted the scaffolded land, and found himself quite enjoying his time. By the time they got to the entrance, Cal was smiling, almost giddy.

BD jumped off his shoulder, chirping.  _ “Race you up!” _ Cal laughed.

“Oh, it’s on!” Cal began sprinting, using the Force to gather some stamina and speed. But BD flew past, easily climbing up the muddy slope. He reached the top, twirling and cheering in triumph. Cal huffed as he began crawling up, finally catching up.

“You’re fast!” Cal huffed, pulling himself up. He brushed his hands on his pants, which were already dirty from scrapping.

BD fluttered around, before climbing back up to Cal’s shoulder.  _ “Of course! I was made to be fast.” _

Cal shook his head, grinning. “Yeah? Well, I won’t underestimate you again!” 

The two entered the vault, coming up on a tall door. It glowed faintly, not unlike a Force Echo. Cal peered at the door, faintly tracing the strange markings. After years of disuse, the markings were faded, covered in moss. But Cal stared at them, mesmerized. He had never seen anything like them before. He focused back onto the faint glow emitting from the center of the door. He placed a hand over it, closing his eyes.

The Force flowed through him, and he gently nudged the door open. It greeted him, allowing passage. He stepped back as the door raised, revealing a dark corridor. 

“You ready, buddy?” Cal asked BD. BD chirped in agreement, nodding his head. Cal breathed in, and entered. 

The dark corridor opened to reveal a vast chamber, filled with water. Cal stepped in, water sloshing over his boots. He silently thanked that they were made of waterproof material as he turned to take in the chamber.

The chamber was elliptical, with two large semicircles carved on the left and right. Light flowed from the open tip, where rainfall most likely flooded the room, leaving out the sloping entrance. Three alien figures were carved on the far wall, unfamiliar features and markings making its meaning indecipherable.

BD jumped off his shoulder, making its way to the center of the room. Cal followed. BD scanned the area when a holoprojection appeared. Cal stepped forward, intrigued and curious. 

“Well done, whoever you are.” The hologram began speaking. The man dressed in simple robes, and if Cal were to guess, there was a lightsaber clipped somewhere on the man, indecipherable from the holoprojection. 

“You have passed the test I left behind, gained access to the vault, and this encrypted message, one of many stored within this droid.” Cal turned, looking down at BD. Clarity formed in his mind.

“I am Master Eno Cordova.” So, he was a Jedi. “I may not know who you are, but I know your purpose.

“This Vault is a sacred temple of the vanished civilization of the Zeffo. While meditating here, I was given a vision of doom for the Jedi Order. I have placed a Jedi holocron within this temple filled with the names and coordinates of young Force Sensitives across the galaxy.” 

Cal gasped, stepping forward. Cordova did what?

“Further down is the inner vault. But another test lies there. I can only trust someone who has followed my path and understands the importance of this mission. Seek out the hidden tombs of the Three Sages and learn to perceive the Force like the Zeffo once did. This droid has everything you need. Go to the Zeffo homeworld and find peace within the eye of the storm.

“Good luck, Jedi.” Cordova crossed his arms in greeting. “And may the Force be with you.”

The holocron cut off, and Cal fell to the ground, water splashing onto his pants. He curled his knees up, staring at his hands. 

“I guess you were the “someone” I was supposed to meet.” Cal chuckled bitterly. “Not some...some Jedi.” 

BD walked over, chirping.

“I just- What was Cordova thinking!” Cal growled. “A list of Force Sensitive children!” He splashed water as his hands hit the water’s surface. “That kind of information shouldn’t have been with him! What if it landed in someone else’s hands?!” 

He stared at his knees. “I guess it is the best way to rebuild the Order. Start anew with a new generation. New ideals, new code, new everything. I don’t know...” Cal mumbled, resting his chin on his knees. BD rubbed his head on his leg in comfort. Cal smiled, patting his head.

He stared at the droid. He had smiled and laughed more during the past couple of hours than he had in years. He’d forgotten what it was like to have a friend, someone to talk to and just relax. BD stayed silent, allowing Cal to process his thoughts.

“You know, I’ve been alone for a long time.” Cal began. “Prauf was great, but he didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand.” He raked a hand through his hair, reminded of its general unkemptness.

“I don’t know if this is the right path. But… maybe it’s time for me to stop hiding, and find a purpose. A  _ destiny _ .” Cal could hear Prauf’s voice, saying that exact same thing.

Cal bit his lip, forcing the tears away. 

“Maybe it’s time for both of us to find a purpose again.” Cal smiled down at BD. The droid hummed. 

Cal stood up then, determined. “You want to meet some new people? They’re uh, I guess friends of mine.” 

BD trilled delightedly.  _ “Yes, please!” _

Cal smiled. “Alright. Besides, Cere still needs me. Still needs you. She needs that holocron, and therefore still needs us. She probably won’t allow us to go until she gets it anyways.” 

Cal didn’t focus on his own selfish reasons for staying. To get to know a former Jedi, someone who understands his past, who he can talk to, who shares a common childhood. No, he pushed that thought away, locked in the back of his mind. He’s helping Cere because that was their deal. Get her the holocron so they can go their separate ways. That was it.

Cal reached down, grabbing BD, and placing him on his shoulder, leaving the Vault and the holocron behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone!
> 
> Another chapter's here! I won't be writing too much for the next couple of days as I study and finish finals, but I hope to crank out a significant portion of this story before school starts again in February. 
> 
> This chapter was a fun one, and I love writing BD and Cal's dynamic! That kid really needs a friend, and BD was there at the perfect time and place. Not too much has changed, and it's probably going to stay that way for now. But some story beats and motivations have started to shift!
> 
> Anywho, leave kudos, comment, whatever! I'll see you guys next time.


	4. Chapter 4

The trip back to the ship was easy enough. They passed another mural, revealing another one of Cordova’s messages. 

“It appears the Zeffo had an interest in Dathomir.” The hologram spat out the planet’s name. “It’s strange for such a peaceful culture to have such a fascination with a place so dark.”

Cal shivered when he first heard it. He remembered Ventress well enough. Obi-Wan always told him that the Nightsisters were force users of much darker arts, though should not be confused with the Sith. Despite himself, Cal also felt a slight fascination with the place. After all, they were force users, just like the Jedi.

They two found Cere waiting outside the ship. She turned when she spotted them. 

“So, it seems like you passed the test.” Cere smirked, eyeing BD.

“So you knew about him, huh?” Cal raised an eyebrow. Cere nodded.

“Come. We’ll talk more inside.” 

Greez was on the couch when they both entered. BD quickly hopped off, running over to the Latero. 

“Hey Greez. This is BD-1. BD, meet Greez.”    
  


The droid hopped onto the couch. Immediately, Greez jumped up, shouting.

“Hey, get off my sofa! Get off!” BD, confused, ran away from the Latero, hiding behind Cal’s legs.

“Hey! Is that how you treat a guest?” Cal scoffed at Greez. The other just brushed the couch.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean oil stains out of this fabric?!” Greez looked at Cal’s face, noticing his bored look. “Well, it’s hard, okay? I don’t want to call a cleaning droid.”

Cal rolled his eyes, settling onto the stairs instead. Cere shook her head at her captain.

“Oh, calm down Greez.” She turned to Cal. “So, what did you find? Other than BD, that is.”

Cal leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs. His eyebrows furrowed. “Well… first off, the Vault was built by an ancient civilization called the Zeffo. Jedi Master Eno Cordova hid a Jedi Holocron inside it, one he took from the Temple.”

Cere stepped forward, hope in her eyes. “What was stored in the holocron?”

Cal sighed. “...a list of Force-Sensitive children.”

Cere huffed out a breathy laugh. “Cordova, you old fool! I knew it! That list could be the next generation of Jedi!”

“Hold up,” Cal cut in. “You knew Cordova?” 

Cere smiled sheepishly. “...yes. I was his apprentice, a long time ago.” She chuckled, pointing at BD.

“We’re probably the only two who know about Bogano, given how much Cordova isolated himself. He loved his books more than he did people."

“Okay, woah guys.” Greez waved his four hands, confusion written on his face. “What the hell’s a holo-something, whatever?” 

Cal rubbed his face. “It’s an object that can store information. But it’s only accessible by Jedi, or light side users, technically.” He pointed to the holocron set on the table, still there from when he opened it a couple of hours before. Cal picked it up again.

“Are you sure you want to listen to it again?” Cere asked. Cal smiled tightly, accepting her concern.

“I’ll be fine.” 

He opened the holocron easily, the blue tint of Obi-Wan revealing itself once again. He only allowed the message to play for a little bit before turning it off, just enough for Greez to get an idea of what a holocron was.

“Woah!” Greez guffawed. “Was that the Negotiator? Obi-Wan Kenobi?!” 

Cal raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. I didn’t think you’d recognize him.”   
  
The captain rolled his eyes, peeved. “Of course I know him! His face was plastered everywhere! Alongside that, uh, other guy. I’m blanking, but I’m sure you know who I’m talking about.”

Cal’s stomach tightened. “Anakin Skywalker.”

Greez snapped his finger. “Yeah! Skywalker and Kenobi. The dream team.” 

“Yeah.” Cal agreed softly. “They were.” Greez looked over at him, brows furrowed.

Cere cleared her throat, steering the conversation away from the two Jedi. Cal silently thanked her. He didn’t allow his thoughts to drift to Anakin and Ahsoka, and where they died.

“Well, with those lists of force-sensitive children,” Cere started, “we could rebuild the Jedi Order and defeat the Empire.”

Greez raised his hands, smiling. “Great! Amazing, lets go get it.”

Cal stopped the Latero. “Woah. Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Cere sighed at that.

“You’re still not convinced, are you?” Cere said sadly. 

Cal sighed, rubbing his face. “I just… I don’t know if this is sound, okay? One, there’s just the two of us, well, technically just me. Two, this could take years. Three, the Empire is still tracking us, and probably won’t stop. If they get their hands on the holocron, we would be dooming the lives of hundreds of force-sensitive children.”

Cere’s face stayed sharp, determination set into her eyes. “But if we tried, I know we could do it. We won’t let the holocron fall into the wrong hands.” 

Cal sighed again. He glanced down at BD, who cooed back at him. 

“Either way,” Cal said, stepping back from starting an argument, “the holocron isn’t safe. With the Empire and Inquisitors tracking us, the risk of someone tracing our steps to Bogano is pretty high. We need to get the holocron before the Empire does.” 

Cal looked over at Cere. “I guess we do have a common cause: get the holocron before the Empire does.” He looked over at Greez, shrugging his shoulders.

“And also, the holocron is hidden deep within the Vault, guarded by another test. And Cordova’s failsafe is to have us follow his path. He mentioned both Dathomir and a Zeffo homeworld. Something about their tombs fascinated him. Those will be our best bet if we want to learn more about the Vault and the Zeffo.” Cal sat down next to Cere, placing the holocron between them. He locked eyes with the woman, coming to a truce.

“Okay.” Cere agreed. “Greez, get the ship ready. We’ll pick a sector.” The captain nodded, grumbling about missing his chance to make some food. Cere stood up, walking over to the navicomputer.

“Oh, Cere.” Cal called out. Cere turned towards Cal, prompting him to start talking. He breathed in, stepping up next to Cere. He hadn’t thought much about her past, but the question was nagging at him.

“Why did you cut yourself off from the Force?” He kept his voice even and calm. He was curious. He cut himself off to protect himself from the Empire. Cere could very likely have a different reason.

“Oh.” Cere said softly. Her eyes became sad, almost broken. “I… had an experience that… changed my perspective. So, I cut myself off from the Force.” 

Cal could tell that Cere wasn’t looking through the navicomputer listings anymore, and he laid a hand on her shoulder. He didn’t need to know the details. People dealt with trauma differently, and he wasn’t one to judge.

“Hey,” Cal said softly. “I- I know we didn’t start off on a great foot. You don’t have to tell me about it, but I’m all ears.” Cere smiled at him, empathy shining in her eyes.

He rubbed his poncho, finding sanity from the feeling of the plastic material between his fingers. “I cut myself off after Utapau. So, just know that I understand, at least a little bit.” 

Cal puffed out a breath of air. The tension between them was gone, left with companionable silence, and understanding. “Well, let’s choose a place to go.” He tapped on the computer as Cere pulled herself out of her trance. The solemn air between the two lifted as he quickly pulled up the starmap.

“I say we start with Zeffo.” Cal said, pulling it up. 

“Great idea.” Cere agreed. “I don’t think any of us want to go near Dathomir.” Cal smiled grimly. 

“I’ve only ever met one nightsister, and I don’t really have plans on meeting anymore.” Cere laughed loudly, and Cal grinned, putting in Zeffo and letting the system calculate the hyperspace jump. 

“We’re ready to go, Greez. Hit it.” Cere called into the cockpit. “I’ll start getting some ingredients out for dinner.” 

Cal peeked up, intrigued. Neither he nor Prauf were expert cooks, and more often than not, Cal would munch on ration bars. It had been years since he’d had a proper meal. His stomach growled at the comment, and Cal blushed at Cere’s knowing look.

“I’ll come help.” Cal muttered, coughing. “I don’t have the best cooking skills, but I’m good at listening to instructions.”

“Well, you’ll have to ask Greez.” Cere stated. “He’s the chef. I’m just getting things out for him.” 

Cal nodded, walking over to the cockpit. He grabbed the door as they entered hyperspace, the stars stretching into bolts of light. 

“Hey, Greez.” Cal called out to the pilot. Greez unstrapped himself, setting the ship into autopilot as he leapt out. “Can I help you with dinner?”

“No.” Greez said bluntly. Cal pouted, dogging the Latero’s steps.

“Why not?” Cal whined. He grinned, his old mischievous personality coming through. He continued nagging Greez until they made it to the kitchen area. At some point, BD had joined in, adding his own quips.

“Fine!” Greez finally cried out. “Fine! You can help me. But you better follow every instruction. No buts or ifs!” The Latero pointed one finger from two of his hands at Cal, whose grin could almost fall off his face.

“Of course, captain.” Cal said demurely. He grabbed an apron from the hangars outside, shooing BD-1 away. 

“Sorry, BD.” Cal said sadly. “You’re not allowed in here. Go hang with Cere, alright?” 

BD chirped softly,  _ “Fine _ .” He hopped away, and Cal joined Greez in the small kitchen.

Greez easily chopped some vegetables, and pointed at a small clove of garlic sitting on the countertop without looking. 

“Mash that clove, will ya? And use the mortar and pestle in the, uh, drawer.” Greez pointed to the second drawer set into the counter. Cal nodded, getting to work. 

True to his word, Cal listened to every instruction Greez gave to the letter. He prepared the sauce. He helped stir the soup. He pulled out some bread rations, letting them steam and puff up when he added water. Before long, the two of them loaded their arms with food, heading out towards the small table set right outside the kitchen. Cere had already set plates and utensils, and the three of them quickly set the food down, settling into their chairs.

BD-1 jumped onto the table, cooing.

“Hey,” Cal said softly before Greez could begin his tirade. “You’re not supposed to stand on the kitchen table while we’re eating.” Cal patted his lap. “You can stay here, okay?”

_ “You’re always telling me where to go.” _ BD grumbled, but settled into Cal’s lap as they resumed their meal in relative silence.

“So, Cal.” Cere broke the silence, looking over at Cal from the other side of the table. “You fought in the war. I bet Greez would love to hear about it.”

Cal smiled, and Greez grumbled, but ultimately agreed, intrigued. 

“How old were you, anyways? You’re already pretty young.” Greez asked, grabbing the pepper. 

Cal shrugged. “I was about 13 when I joined, but I didn’t gain my commander rank until I was fourteen.” 

Greez stared at him. “Wait, you’re telling me you were barely a teenager when you started fighting?” Cal grimaced, nodding his head. He never thought about it very much, but he remembered his Master’s face when he promoted Cal. He was proud, but something sour colored his voice shone through his eyes. At the time, he couldn’t quite place what it was.

Cal could finally see clearly now. Sadness, and a bit of fear. 

“Well, yeah. But we were Jedi. We had the Force on our side.” Cal did his best to reconcile the idea to Greez. “My master, Obi-Wan, did his best to prepare me.”

The Latero made a face, but went back to his food. “Well, if you were trained by the Negotiator, I guess you were well prepared.” 

Cal shovelled some in as well, savoring the wonderful taste. He had to stop himself from inhaling the plate almost immediately.

Force, he missed home cooked food.

“What about you, Cere?” Cal turned to the woman, who was silent through their awkward conversation. “Did you also fight in the war?” 

Cere smiled bitterly. “No. I was more of an archivist and scholar than anything else. I spent a lot of time sorting through holopads rather than sparring. But my padawan, Trilla, she was a menace on the sparring pads.” 

Cal looked over at Cere, who seemed to have drawn herself in slightly at the mention of her padawan. “If you don’t mind me asking… what happened to her?” 

Cere smiled sadly, moving her food around her plate, before mechanically forcing a bite into her mouth. “She… didn’t make it.” 

“Oh.” Cal said. He couldn’t find anything else to say. He stared at his food now, the awkward silence from before was back and even heavier. Cal picked at his food as he forced it down, it’s taste and texture now stale.

They finished dinner in silence. Cal helped Greez clean up, washing the dishes as he dried them. Cere cleaned the table outside. By the time Cal stepped out, Cere was gone. Cal noticed the shut door that led into the workshop. He sighed, trailing over to the couch again.

BD bounded over, settling onto Cal’s lap. Cal smiled, gently petting the droid. 

“You know, you kind of remind me of some of the droids I worked with, during the war.” Cal’s memories flashed to R2. He smiled, remembering the droid’s vulgar language and cleverness. 

_ “What were they like?” _ BD inquired. 

Cal sighed, tilting his head. 

“Well, R2 was incredibly sassy. He built up a very distinct personality. Probably because Anakin never wiped his memories like he was supposed to.” Cal chuckled. “He got into a lot of trouble for that. But he was adamant about never wiping the droid’s memory.”

BD whirred softly.  _ “I don’t have my memories.” _

Cal’s looked down at the droid. “Really?” 

BD said nothing, tilting his head down. Cal continued petting the droid, this time in comfort.

“Well,” Cal began. “You’ll have lots of time to make more memories. And maybe we can figure out how to get yours back.” Cal rested his head on the droid’s. “From the way Cordova was talking, they’re under some lock and key.”

Cal could feel the inner workings of BD whirr and click as the droid purred in agreement. Cal closed his eyes for a bit, breathing, falling into a light meditation. 

This time around, the Force was peaceful. Cal stayed close to the surface, never diving further into the Force’s presence, lest he lose control again. He opened his eyes, before pulling himself off of BD’s head and standing up. BD crawled onto his shoulder as Cal stretched his limbs.

“Well, I’m gonna rest for a bit.” Cal called out to Greez, who grunted in acknowledgement from the cockpit. Cal made his way towards the bedrooms, passing the workshop. The door was still closed, and Cal almost reached out to knock. But he stopped himself. Cere probably wanted to be alone, and he would respect that. 

Cal landed onto the bed as BD took vigil on the small desk off to the side. He closed his eyes, letting his body relax.

He fell asleep, and this time, no nightmares plagued his sleeping consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone!
> 
> Sorry I've been gone for so long. I've been fighting off some pretty bad vibes and dealing with a bit of writer's block. I usually finish a chapter ahead before posting. But chapter 5 has been being an ass, so I decided to post this chapter before finishing next chapter anyways. This chapter was fun to write, since it was mostly about character interactions! But of course, it is mostly just filler. Let me know what you guys think.
> 
> Not sure when the next chapter will be up. Motivation to do really anything has been rough. This year has been tough, for all of us. Have a safe holiday season! Leave kudos, comments, whatever! I'll see you guys soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! And welcome back!!
> 
> You're in for a long one! I don't know how much I will be writing, so expect inconsistent updates, as usual. I'm working on the second chapter already and hopefully it'll be up soon! 
> 
> This chapter was super fun to write! I love exploring Cal's inner thoughts and while it still sticks pretty closely to the game, it won't stay that way for long. This story is a way for me to really dip my toes into writing something more original. I'm excited to explore the ideas I've had in my head for months now! Some of these ideas were manifested when I first started this series. It's kind of insane how much I've written over the last couple of months. I honestly can't believe I haven't abandoned this. But I'm so happy I didn't!
> 
> Anyways, leave kudos, comments, whatever! I'll see you guys later.


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